Journalist Law School Overview

The Civil Justice Program at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles will host its tenth-annual Journalist Law School from Wednesday, May 27-Saturday, May 30, 2015 on Loyola Law School’s Frank Gehry-designed downtown Los Angeles campus.The application deadline is Monday, Feb. 16, 2015.

The fellowship condenses core law-school subjects and break-out topics into a long weekend filled with courses taught by Loyola Law faculty, practicing attorneys, legislators and hudges. Journalists with at least three years of experience who cover the law in some fashion are encouraged to apply.Journalist fellows, who are competitively selected, receive a certificate of completion at the end of the four-day program. More than 300 reporters, editors and producers have completed the fellowship from a wide range of local, national and international news organizations.

There is no cost to journalists to attend the fellowship. Instruction, lodging and most meals are included. And the Journalist Law School will cover half of travel expenses up to $300. Fellows will be housed at the nearby Omni Los Angeles Hotel.

Fellows need to arrive in Los Angeles on the morning of Wednesday, May 27, 2015. The JLS will cover lodging from May 27 through the evening of May 30. Fellows will be responsible for any additional lodging. Fellows will have one free evening to explore Los Angeles on their own. Certificates will be issued during a graduation ceremony and reception on the evening of Saturday, May 30.

Loyola’s Civil Justice Program started the JLS in 2006 as a way to help journalists navigate the complexities of the legal system and enhance their coverage of it. “Journalists provide the keys to understanding the most complex institutions in our society, including the courts,” said Professor ockleby, director of the JLS and Loyola’s Civil Justice Program. “If journalists have a deeper understanding of law and the legal system, they can help the public better understand – and critique – that system.”

The core faculty members -- Professors Nockleby, Laurie Levenson and Karl Manheim – will lecture on civil, criminal and constitutional law and other primary topics. They -- along with Professors Jay Dougherty, Allan Ides and Daniel Martin, as well as Dean Victor Gold -- recently published “The Journalist’s Guide to American Law” (Routledge, 2012), a comprehensive reference for reporters who cover the legal system. Fellows will receive a copy of the book.

“This should probably be required of all journalists earlier in their careers.”

“It’s a program that delivers on its promise: teach journalists a better, more comprehensive understanding of the law.”

“I came to the program expecting a crash course in the law and, fortunately, I got that. I really felt I was being taught by the very best legal academic minds and it both humbled me and inspired me to re-dedicate myself to better journalistic endeavors down the road. The payoff: accurate reporting and thus a more well-informed society.”

“The professors at Loyola Law School know their stuff. I can’t think of any session where I questioned the level of knowledge held by the speaker – and, as a reporter, I am paid to be skeptical of people’s words.”

The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) is a founding sponsor of the program.